38 



So obvious is it that a great number of morbid conditions 

 predispose their victims to Ci worms/' that, at one time, these 

 invaders were regarded in the light of symptoms of disease 

 rather than as themselves constituting a disease. Debilita- 

 ting 1 , and cachectic 2 , diseases appear to have a particularly 

 evil influence in this direction, and special mention must be 

 made of tuberculosis, rickets 3 , diabetes, cancer, Bright's 

 disease, heart-disease and dropsy, and other chronic maladies, 

 whilst morbid states, which were blamed by earlier writers for 

 causing threadworm disease, include suppurating wounds, 

 strangulated hernia, fevers of all kinds, surgical operations, 

 " mucous " and mental diseases 4 . 



One distinguished helminthologist of modern times, however, 

 denies that constitutional debility is a predisposing cause, 

 and says that the cachexia and weakness so often observed are 

 results, and not causes, of the disease. He even declares that 

 a robust person makes a better host for the Oxyuris than a 

 weakly one, though the latter may be more gravely affected 

 by it. He considers that the notion is a survival of the obso- 

 lete theory that equivocal generation of the parasite was 

 favoured by the diathesis of the patient. 



This view is, however, opposed to the almost unanimous 

 opinion of other helminthologists 5 . It is well known, for 

 instance, that tuberculous children, whose vitality is ad- 

 mittedly impaired, are found to suffer from threadworms, 



1 " A relaxed and weak stomach operations de la chirurgie, se corn- 

 affords them (i.e., the worms) a pliquent tres-frequemment de la 

 nidus, where they propagate and are presence des lombricoi'des ; . . . 

 nourished." (CHAMBERLAINS, W., Roederer et Wagler nous disent que 

 op. cit., p. 3.) la maladie muquese se compliquait 



2 " Neither do I deny them to be souvent d'ascarides. . . . Les 

 oft-times an Effect and Symptome affections mentales . . . determ- 

 of divers diseases, especially Putrid ment souvent la formation de ces 

 Feavers, Cachexias, Consumptions, etres parasites." (FUCHET, B., op. 

 etc., as well as a Cause." (RAMESEY, cit., p. 17.) 



W., op. cit., p. 369.) 6 " Maximi vero momenti tertia 



3 " Apres 1'age, on a accuse le est indicatio, scilicet indicatio causa- 

 temperament phlegmatique, la con- lis et curativa. Nam helminthiasis 

 stitution lymphatique, scrofuleuse, causae potius in organorum diges- 

 rachitique." (TERSON, S. E., op. cit., tionis statu pituitoso sunt positae 

 p. 19.) quam in vermibus ipsis, qui tantum 



4 " Les grandes plaies suivies status hujus symptoma sunt, et 

 de beaucoup de suppuration, les quorum effectus tollitur, si causa est 

 hernies etranglees, la plupart des ablata." (HELLER, I., op. cit., 

 fievres dites essentielles, les grandes p. 29.) 



